


Shine Above The Snow

by Oricalle



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Shin Ankoku Ryuu to Hikari no Ken | Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, Fire Emblem: Shin Monshou no Nazo | Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem
Genre: Cold Weather, F/F, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Torture, Kinda Vacation, Light Angst, Snuggling, camilla as literal wingman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-02 09:17:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20273569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oricalle/pseuds/Oricalle
Summary: A routine delivery for the Order Of Heroes gives Minerva the chance to behold something truly special.(A gift/tribute fic for one of my favorite stories.)





	Shine Above The Snow

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Solrosfalt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Solrosfalt/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Princess of Dawn - A Minerva Fanfiction](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11915025) by [Solrosfalt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Solrosfalt/pseuds/Solrosfalt). 

> in which oricalle continues to abuse heroes as a setting

If anyone were to ask Princess Minerva what the most wonderful feeling in the world was, she would be hard-pressed not to tell them it was flying.

Ever since she had taken her first ride on a pegasus, she always had an inkling that she belonged in the air. It was not only her battleground, but her home, and being grounded typically could never compare.

Except for today. Today, as she slid another chunk of snow out of her eyes, she wished she was a cavalier.

She had been assigned to deliver medical supplies from the Order to an outpost in the north of Nifl that was suffering from an outbreak. It was an important mission, and one she was honored to be among the chosen squadron for, but flying in Nifl wasn’t pleasant at the best of times. Even in an earlier summer, during the war, she had found some difficulty in controlling her mount in such frigid air. Now that it was winter, it took all of her willpower to even keep urging her wyvern forward.

As Minerva glanced to her side, she could see that her left wingmate, Princess Camilla, was struggling as well, teeth clenched as she slowly massaged her mount’s neck. Minerva had flown enough missions with the Nohrian to know that her aerial expertise rivaled her own, so it certainly wasn’t an issue of inexperience.

“Commander!”

To Minerva’s right, a familiar voice broke through the sound of whipping winds, clear as day even through the din that surrounded her. Unlike the others, Palla seemed to be flying fine. In her head, she knew it was due to Palla’s pegasus being far better suited to the weather than the wyverns she and Camilla rode, even before adding the extra crates of supplies that were strapped to each wyvern. But some deep, sympathetic part of Minerva wanted to believe that Palla was just too agile and lovely for the snow to impede her. Even through the storm, Minerva could see deep green strands of Palla’s hair sneaking out from her hooded coat, the only parts of the pegasus knight that were moving as she focused intently on the horizon. Discipline had always been one of her strengths. Palla turned her head, and their eyes met.

“Commander?”

Thankfully, the winter storm had already reddened Minerva’s cheeks, so Palla had no way of noting the princess’ embarrassment at having missed the first shout.

“Yes, Palla?”

Palla extended a white-gloved hand towards the ground.

“I see a town slightly ahead. We should rest for the night, your mounts look fatigued!”

“I agree.” Camilla’s voice wasn’t quite as clear as Palla’s, but it carried far enough for both Macedonians to hear. “What say you, Minerva?” The lack of any of Camilla’s usual pet names or bouncing tone of voice proved to Minerva that she must have been exhausted as well. The commander cleared her throat, scarlet hair struggling against the wind under her hood.

“Very well. We make for the town! Follow m-” 

A sudden glob of falling snow had managed to land directly in Minerva’s mouth. As she spat it out, Camilla laughed and began her descent. Palla, after a sorrowful look, did the same.

It was astounding how the cold could ruin even flying.

The remote town of Jokull, according to the sign, had a population of only a few hundred, but thankfully also a pegasus stable. It took a little convincing, but renting two stalls each gave both Minerva and Camilla ample space to allow their tired mounts to rest.

“You’ve done well today, Fridh.” Minerva patted the snout of her wyvern, smiling as she sniffed joyfully in response. “Just one day more, and we’ll be on our way home to the castle.” Fridh closed her eyes and stomped backwards into the hay-filled stall, curling up on the floor. She was a lovely wyvern, and although Minerva missed Titania dearly, she had been allowed to choose Fridh the day she was summoned. She certainly hadn’t ever regretted it. Familiar footsteps echoed off the stone floor as Palla approached, flipping the hood of her coat back and smiling over at her commander.

“Are you alright, Princess? I understand it was a difficult flight. Are you unharmed?”

Minerva chuckled at her partner, leaning over to wrap an arm around Palla’s shoulder. She pushed against it slightly, a sheepish smile on her lips.

“At ease, Palla. It’s me.” 

Ever dutiful, it was typically quite a task to get Palla to relax. Minerva liked to think she’d gotten better about it over the years, though. The gentle smile that crept up the pegasus knight’s face only served to back that up.

“Very well, Minerva. Let’s be on our way, I think Princess Camilla’s already gone to the inn.”

Slipping a hand snugly into one of Palla’s, Minerva walked with her to a red-brick inn adjacent to the stables.

Minerva exhaled as she entered the front lobby, wiping the snow off of her boots on the entry mat. A log fireplace sat in the center of the room, circled by wood-framed sofas. One of them was occupied by Camilla, who was slowly beginning the arduous task of removing her heavy coat. The pleasant scent of pine and lavender filled the room, the source of which Minerva was unsure, but she assumed it had to be the candles on the front desk.

A heavy-set man with a bushy mustache waved to the pair as they entered, moving behind the desk. With that facial hair, he wouldn’t have looked out of place as a Macedonian general, Minerva mused.

“Ho there! Welcome to the Elk and Elm.” he called. As he spoke, he was quickly flipping through papers, giving off the aura of someone who had far too much on their plate. “Your friend over there got you all signed up. Order of Heroes, right?”

“Indeed.” Palla took the lead, cutting off Minerva’s rusty people skills before they could become an issue. She had always suspected that perhaps that was a reason she was so often paired with Camilla, who tended to excel at persuasion.

“Well, I’d love to hear some of the stories you ladies have, but the place is so busy tonight I’ve got no time to spare!” The innkeeper chuckled, his torso heaving slightly as he worked. “Afraid we’ve only got one room left, so some of you might have to sleep on the floor. I’ll get an extra set of blankets sent up.”

“Thank you,” Palla replied, dropping two gold pieces into the man’s waiting palm. Minerva, however, was curious.

“This seems like quite a quiet town. Do you often have the inn filled up?” Sure, Nifl seemed safe, but Minerva had been in one too many conflicts to consider anything a funny coincidence. She didn’t fancy the idea of being mobbed by assassins or bandits in the middle of the night.

The innkeep’s eyes lit up, like he was waiting for someone to ask. “You three really aren’t from around here, are you? The Boreal Lights are supposed to be out tonight.”

“I’m not familiar.” Minerva responded.

“Well…” The innkeeper scratched at his beard. “The night sky sorta lights up different colors? I’m sure I ain’t explaining it right, but it’s just beautiful. You’ve really got to see it. Jokull’s so high up that we get the best view in the mountains, so lots of folks flock here for the Lights. That’s part of why the Elm was built, y’know, we got big windows in all the rooms. It’s a pain to clean ‘em the rest of the year, but it’s worth it!”

Minerva nodded, satisfied with his explanation. She loosened her guard a tad, beginning to feel secure in the new environment. Maria often told her she was too defensive, but Minerva would rather fret slightly too much than be caught off-guard. The innkeeper handed Palla a key, muttered the room number to her, and swiftly returned to his paperwork, now fully focused on the quill in his hands.

Camilla, finally free of her bulky winter gear, tapped Minerva on the shoulder as she approached, her usual predatory grin spread across her face. “Come on, darlings, let’s get ourselves settled. I’m not sure about you two, but I’m rather excited to spend the rest of the night somewhere warm.”

Admittedly, Minerva was not an expert on inn rooms. The princess had spent most of her life bouncing between two extremes, either in the lavish living conditions of a royal palace or the bare essentials of a military campsite. She had spent some time in the prisons beneath Macedon’s palace as well, but she preferred not to remember those days. In her experience, though, the room they had been provided at the Elk and Elm felt as if it fell right in the middle.

A carefully sanded dark wood floor stretched before her, the center adorned with a well-worn scarlet rug. The bed sat at the opposite end of the room from the door, covered with fresh white linens. Various small rugs and decorative knick knacks were scattered across three of the walls, while the majority of the one opposite the bed was dominated by a glass window, providing a stunning view of the sun nearly set over the white snowy expanse. Suddenly feeling the way her shirt clung unpleasantly to the skin beneath her coat, Minerva found herself wandering to the bathroom door.

Palla sat cross-legged on the bed, beginning to undo her outerwear with practiced movements. Camilla had parked herself in front of the window, seemingly enraptured by the way the snow sparkled from so far away. There hadn’t been much time for marvelling on the flight, considering how grueling the journey had been. Recalling the innkeeper’s earlier words, Minerva put off the siren call of the bathtub for slightly longer, pursing her lips at her companions.

“We should work out sleeping arrangements now, so there’s no confusion.” Minerva announced. Palla snapped to attention at her words, while Camilla cast a glance over her shoulder. “The bed seems large enough for the two of you, so I’ll volunteer to use the floor.” She’d certainly slept on worse. As she had expected, though, Palla had an objection.

“With all due respect, Comm-Minerva, I wouldn’t feel right allowing a princess to have to sleep on the ground. I’d like to take the floor, if you will allow it.”

“I won’t.” Minerva thought to herself, but before she could say as much, Camilla cut in, finally swerving away from the window to face them both.

“Palla, please, we’re equals here. Any land I’m royalty of is quite literally worlds away! Don’t worry your pretty little head about all that titled nonsense, alright?” She put a hand on each hip. “Regardless, I found myself just adoring the material on that couch in the lobby downstairs! I think I may retire there for the evening. You lovelies can have the room, okay?”

Her eyes darted away from Palla as she shot Minerva a mischievous glance, and Minerva fought back the color that threatened to rise to her cheeks. She had known Camilla long enough to know that no “couch material” could drag the princess away from a plush bed or the chance to bathe.

Palla opened her mouth, seemingly to offer a rebuttal, but Camilla spoke up again. “Plus, I’d bet I’ll still get a lovely view of those Boreal Lights from the front windows…” She raised an eyebrow at Minerva.

Of course, the real motivation behind Camilla’s decision had to be the chance to let Minerva and Palla have the room together. As well as Minerva felt she knew the Nohrian woman, she often forgot that Camilla likely knew her just as well, if not better. She’d have to find some way to make it up to her. Preferably before Camilla asked for her own ludicrous favor.

“See you tomorrow, Palla dear!” Camilla’s lip curled up just enough to reveal the slightest glimpse of white teeth to Minerva. “You as well, Minervy-kins!” With that, she made a hasty exit, nearly sprinting out the door before either woman could stop her.

Minerva no longer felt the urge to make it up to her. The color had finally reached her cheeks, and she could see an expression of slight awe breaking through Palla’s stoic mask.

“Minervy-kins?” the knight repeated, as if trying to clarify.

“I’m going to take a bath. Be out in a bit.” Minerva pulled the bathroom door shut in hopes of avoiding any discussion of Camilla’s pet name habit. If it was any consolation, Palla would likely have one herself soon enough.

The bathroom was admittedly rather claustrophobic, but it was functional enough. As Minerva sunk into the wooden tub, she let out a ragged sigh. The lukewarm water lapped at her skin, gently scouring away the light film of sweat that covered her body. For some time, she just laid there, her neck propped against the edge of the tub as she stared up at the ceiling. Life in the Order wasn’t nearly as draining as it had been as part of Macedon’s army, true, but she still found herself treasuring every break as if it would be the last. Some old habits, it seemed, would never die.

Her fingers made small circles on the surface as she let herself sink deeper, leaving only her head out of the water. Perhaps, she thought, being raised for so long as a warrior was what made her so troubled a ruler. Politics had never suited her, and she doubted it ever would. That had always been Marth’s forte, and she would gladly let him bear the brunt of it.

In the silence, she heard a faint and familiar sound.

“Hearts ever stalwart, surge boldly into the fight…”

It was Palla’s voice. Hushed, as if she didn’t want anyone to take notice, but the walls were thin and years of combat had granted Minerva rather impressive hearing.

“Seize your chances for victory, go, take wing and take flight…”

Warm nostalgia bubbled up in Minerva’s chest at the tune. It had been years since she’d heard that particular battle song, an old favorite among Macedon’s pegasus knights. Like so many other things, it was replaced during Michalis’ regime, but she could never forget it. Quickly, she rose from the tub and fished for the bathrobe hung up on the door. It was a cheap thing, mostly backless and made of gray cloth, but it would do for now.

Palla was sitting on the edge of the bed, covers bunched up around her as she gazed out the window. She smiled as Minerva exited the bathroom. “Welcome back, Minerva. Feeling any better?”

She chuckled. “How could anyone feel down after hearing “Soaring Pride”, Palla?”

The ever-composed pegasus knight let out a muffled squeaking sound, her face quickly starting to go red. “I can’t believe you heard me! I apologize, Minerva, I didn’t mean to interrupt your bath.”

Grinning, Minerva crossed the room, walking barefoot over the planks until she reached Palla’s side and sat next to her. “No need to apologize. It brought back lovely memories. I didn’t know you liked to sing.”

“Oh, Est is the singer. I just felt...cheerful, I suppose?”

Minerva nodded, concealing the sheer joy that statement brought her. “Well, you should know that I was a fan.”

Laughing quietly, Palla leaned her head against Minerva’s shoulder and brought a hand up. Minerva could feel her oldest ally’s light touch as she gently rubbed against the princess’s still damp back. To her surprise, Palla winced, her previously joyous expression sinking into a frown.

“Something wrong, Palla?”

“They’re still there.” Her voice was little more than a whisper as one of her fingers traced an old scar up Minerva’s spine. While the warrior had many scars, most with rather insignificant stories, this one was hard to forget. That scar was part of a spectacle.

The manaketes had been harsh masters. After a failure to stop Prince Marth’s advance at Aurelis Castle (Gods, they had been enemies once.), Minerva had found herself forced to kneel on a raised wooden platform in the center of the army’s camp. A sneering dragonkin had administered her punishment, five agonizing lashes with a whip in full view of the army. The humiliation had not been as effective as they’d hoped, she wagered, she had little respect for what any of Dolhr’s lapdogs thought of her, but the flogging was excruciatingly painful. Just the thought of it made her mouth taste like blood. Evidently, the scars across her back remained.

She nodded at Palla, her mouth set in a practiced grimace of neutrality. “They don’t hurt anymore. You needn’t worry. That was a long time ago, Palla.”

Palla didn’t look reassured. She pulled her head off of Minerva’s shoulder, suddenly diverting her eyes to the rug on the ground. “I remember it. I had to watch.”

An involuntary shiver crept up Minerva’s back. She hadn’t wanted her to have to see. Not out of any sense of shame, but for Palla’s sake. She noticed one of Palla’s fists was clenched, gripping the edge of the blanket in a stranglehold. 

“Some of those bastards were laughing at you, and I wanted to kill them.”

Minerva shrugged. “Given the way the rest of the war went, it’s possible you did, eventually.”

Palla shook her head, her eyelids clamped closed now.

“I wish it had been me up there.”

“No.” Minerva spat back, nearly on reflex. She wrapped her arms around Palla and pulled her close, inhaling the faint scent of pegasus wings that still clung to her. “Please don’t say things like that. It’s in the past, Palla.”

Faintly, Palla shook her head. “I was sworn to protect you, and I failed. I let them drag you up there and torture you, and I...I just stood there and watched!”

“There was nothing you could have done. They’d have killed us both, had you tried anything.” It was likely that Dolhr would have killed Catria and Est as well, but Minerva didn’t bring that up, not wanting to upset Palla any further. It was already rare to see her in this level of distress.

Palla sighed deeply, and Minerva winced at the rattle in her chest. “I know you’re right. I just wish I could have been of more use, with all you were going through.”

Gently, Minerva tugged Palla closer, running a few fingers through her vibrant green hair. “Palla, you were one of the only things that kept me afloat during those days. If you and your sisters hadn’t been there for me, I would have lost my mind long before that torturer ever touched me.” She pressed a gentle kiss into Palla’s cheek, wishing she could take the pain from her lover’s mind. “Having you by my side was invaluable, Palla. Every moment you were gone, I yearned to see you again.”

She could feel Palla’s labored breaths calming, and watched as her fist slowly released the blanket it was harshly wrapped around. In response, Palla’s cheek nestled back into Minerva’s shoulder, and the smaller woman looked up with a faint smile.

“I felt the same way. I’m the luckiest person in the world to have someone like you, Minerva. And I don’t want you to ever forget that.”

She mussed the top of Palla’s hair, just sitting at peace with her for a moment. It was far from the perfect romantic location. The air was dry, the sound from below the windowsill only grew louder as a small gathering at the foot of the inn grew, and Minerva was a sopping wet mess. Still, it was more than enough for the two of them.

As she looked up, Palla gasped. “Minerva! Look out there!”

Raising her eyes, Minerva was met with a surprising sight. A ripple of green spread across the night sky, twisting in a bizarre pattern. The dark brown floors of their inn room were suddenly illuminated with a faint viridian glow, leading Minerva to feel like the light was almost surrounding her. Were it not so beautiful, it would have been somewhat frightening.

“I’ve never seen anything like it…” Palla murmured, leaning forward towards the window. Childlike glee twisted her face into a broad grin, transfixed by the phenomenon right outside. Minerva certainly couldn’t blame her, and seeing an expression of such pure joy on a face that was so often haunted by war or contorted by obligation was a miracle in its own right. Curious, Minerva leaned forward as well, lightly gathering a bit of Palla’s hair between her fingers. She gently pulled it in front of her eyes, holding the strands in front of the suddenly abundant light.

“Minerva?” 

“I still think your color is nicer.”

With that comment about her hair, Palla’s face quickly turned the same color as Minerva’s red locks. A soft smile appeared on Minerva’s lips as Palla gently relaxed against her, exhaling slowly as two war-worn hands gently squeezed at her shoulders.

“Palla, you have always been there for me. I wish to do the same for you.”

Palla laughed quietly. “I don’t remember my Commander giving such emotional speeches often.”

Minerva leaned in, kissing her cheek once more. “How about your girlfriend, then?”

“That sounds...more accurate.”

Long hair tickled the base of Minerva’s neck as Palla readjusted herself, now holding one arm across the princess’ midsection while the other gently rubbed at her back. 

Much of her life had been consumed by tragedy. From the early death of her mother to Michalis’ bloody coup, from being forced to fight for Dolhr to being ousted by her own generals, Minerva struggled to think of a time when war was far from her mind. Thankfully, it was similarly difficult to remember any moment when Palla wasn’t in her thoughts as well. They had grown together, fought together, and become closer entwined than nearly anyone else Minerva knew. That made her feel fortunate, and she knew she wouldn’t trade this life away for anything.

The emerald glow from outside continued to shine on the both of them, and Minerva smiled as she buried her face in Palla’s hair. 

This made it all worth it.

The next morning, she woke early to check on Fridh. As Minerva trekked to the stables, careful to avoid stepping in all the debris that must have been dropped during last night’s festivities, she saw a familiar figure hunched over one of the stalls. Camilla was whispering to her wyvern, lightly patting at its snout and making noises Minerva couldn’t ever quite understand the meaning of.

“You’re up early.” she remarked, approaching Camilla slowly.

As Camilla turned, Minerva noted the bags under her eyes and the subtly matted status of her wingmate’s typically perfectly coiffed hair. “Rough night?” she asked.

“I’ve had worse, dear, no need to worry.” Despite the unusual fatigue, Camilla still had the energy for one of her signature smirks.

“What you did last night was generous. Thank you.” Minerva extended a hand and Camilla took it, giggling softly to herself.

“Oh, I had two very good reasons.” Camilla held up two fingers on her other hand. “One, you and Palla both get so very wound up and cranky. You both deserve a little time together, you know, and I wanted to make sure you got it!”

Minerva grinned as Camilla dropped a finger and pointed the remaining one at her. “And second…” She poked Minerva in the nose. “You do owe me a favor now, darling, and that’s always worth the hassle.”

Both riders laughed at that until another set of footsteps approached. 

“Good morning Minerva, good morning Camilla!” Palla looked as spry and attentive as ever, despite the hour. “Did the two of you want to leave early? We may be able to beat out the worst of the blizzard if we depart soon.”

Camilla raised her eyebrows. “That certainly sounds lovely to me. And this is a rather important delivery. What do you say, Minervy-kins, shall we be off?”

Rolling her eyes at the pet name and trying to ignore the stifled giggle from Palla, Minerva shrugged. “No time like the present. Let’s be off, everyone, our destination isn’t far! We’ve got medicine to deliver!”

After Palla gave a salute and dashed off to find her mount, Camilla followed Minerva to the makeshift wyvern lodgings they had rented out.

“Did you get to see the lights last night, by the way?" Camilla asked. "Gorgeous, weren’t they?”

Minerva smiled and looked over her shoulder, managing to catch one last glimpse of a bouncing head of green hair before it turned a corner.

“Oh, they certainly weren’t bad.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed the fic! Now I'd like to tell you about the one that inspired this.
> 
> When I started writing "Worth Of A Broken Blade", I knew I wanted Minerva to play a pretty heavy role. I may write mostly about Heroes, but my heart lies pretty firmly in Archanea. I've always loved Minerva as a character, and after using the tag for the first time, I got curious what sorts of other stories might involve her.
> 
> That's how I found "Princess Of Dawn", and I got absolutely blown away. 
> 
> "Princess Of Dawn" is a retelling of the events of Shadow Dragon (or FE1) from the perspective of Minerva. If you aren't familiar, Minerva is the princess of one of the antagonist nations in the game, Macedon. She's being blackmailed by her brother and all-around jackass, King Michalis, with her little sister's life, to fight for the villains. The way Sorosfalt tells the story in PoD is just fantastic.
> 
> I've played through the Archanea games several times, and they could generously be described as "light on description". This story completely brings the setting to life through some gorgeously well-written visuals and fleshed-out character interactions. You get a real sense of what Macedon is like through Minerva's eyes, for example, where the official games mostly just kinda shrug their shoulders and go "idk there are pegasi and wyverns?" The level of detail is honestly off the charts.
> 
> The character relationships are also a standout. Michalis' betrayal hurts so much more when you read about Minerva slowly putting the pieces together as he stands in Macedon's throne room. You will feel legitimately fearful that characters will not survive situations that they canonically do, and that's just the power of the writing at work.
> 
> I especially like the way Minerva interacts with her bodyguard and eventual lover, Palla, and that's what inspired this story. I wanted to include some of my favorite elements from Princess of Dawn in it, so that stuck out in my mind. 
> 
> I also included a very large reference to one of my favorite (that might not be the right word!) chapters from PoD, "Steel", in which Minerva is tortured for failing to stop Marth. I can't reread that chapter without wincing at how effective it is and feeling a real sense of righteous anger bubble up in my gut a little bit. 
> 
> I would highly recommend that, if you liked this, you go treat yourself to the fantastic "Princess of Dawn". I would call it my favorite fanfiction I've ever read, and I think you'll love it too. It's very long, and I'm not even finished yet, to say the truth, but it's worth the time twice-over.
> 
> Solrosfalt, thanks so much for writing a story that not only kept me company during some rough times, but also inspiring me to aim higher with my own works! I hope you enjoy this little gift fic, and I apologize if all my gushing was weird! I will delete it at your request. :p
> 
> Other Quick Notes:  
\- I absolutely did not intend to start writing a ride-or-die Camilla/Minerva bromance in Broken Blade but now I'm firmly along for the ride. I love the idea of stoic no-nonsense Minerva being badgered constantly by her friend, The Most Extra Woman In The Universe.  
\- I may not know how the Northern Lights work, but please understand that any inconsistencies are absolutely 100% intentional because these are the "Boreal Lights", which are totally different. Please do this.  
\- please go read princess of dawn, seriously


End file.
